Diaper cover



NOV. 18, 1952 5, DE LEONE 2,618,266

DIAPER COVER Filed Aug. 10, 1951 Jnvehtor J071/Z Belem/1e (Ittornegs Patented Nov. 18, 19 52 DIAPER oovEa This invention I relates to: diaper covers, and more particularly to improvements 'therein which facilitate their use.

The more satisfactory diaper covers, or baby pants (as they are sometimes called) comprise a back "pa'el the top of. which is shirred and contains an elastic strip forming part of a waistband, and-a front panel connected to the back panel -'orintegral therewith through a crotch section. The side portions of the front and back panels are unconnected except by snap or other fasteners, and the margins of the crotch section are shaped to encircle the legs and have elastic margins.

In use, the diaper cover above described is placed under the rump of a diapered infant and then the front panel is passed up between the legs and the side portions of the front and back panel are joined by snap or other fasteners, the cover being held in place by the elastic waistband.-'

In changing the diaper, the; snap fasteners of the diaper cover are opened and the front panel dropped to give free access to the diaper. However, it often occurs that during the changing of the diaper, the back panel of the cover becomes disarranged and has to be repositioned under the infant beforev the sides are again fastened.

7 According to the present invention, this incon venience and bother of positioning the back-panel of the diaper cover each time a diaper is changed or adjusted is avoided, and this is done in a very convenient and economical manner by providing a retaining strip on the back panel, forming in conjunction with the upper waistband margin of the back panel, a complete waistband.

By the provision of such a retaining strip, which extends over and across the abdomen of the infant, the back panel of the diaper cover is held in place while the diaper is being changed, and does not have to be repositioned and relocated after the change has been made.

In one form of this invention the retaining strip is permanently attached to both ends of the waistband portion of the back panel by being caught under the male parts of the top snap fasteners. This strip may be elastic, but I have found that it need not be since the waistband portion of the back panel contains sufficient shirring and elasticity to permit the waistband to be expanded and passed over the buttocks of the infant. a

In another form of the invention, one end of the engirdling strip is permanently fastened to a in .fJohn'B De I Je bneQNe .Haven, Conn.."f;

a l c nts August m, 1951, Serial No. 241,353 News; I2'828"1 "TJ spread out fiat.

' one side of the backpanel and is connected;

the other side thereof-by a hook orsnap fastener; With this form of the invention, it is merely necessary-when applying the garment to-slide the back panel under the infant, pass the en-.-

girdling strip across the abdomen, and fasten the loose end to the opposite side of the back panel to remain thus until itis desired to change the diaper cover itself. Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. In the accompanying drawings: I Figure 1 is a plan view of the diaper, cover, with the front panel unfastened from the rear and Fig. 2 is a top end view of the-back panel and retaining strip of the cover of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view. of a' back panel an'd'retainer strip illustrating another form of: the invention wherein the strip is permanently fastened to only one side portion of the back panel.

Fig. 4 is a top end view" of the backpanel an retaining strip of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the improved diaper cover of this invention comprises a back panel H), a front panel ll, and a crotch section "12 which connects together thefront and back panels and is preferably integral therewith. The panels [0 and II and crotch section l2 maybe made of any garment material suitable-for the purpose, as for example waterproof silk, soft flexi'ble plastic, etc.

Elastic or expansible marginal portions l3 and I4 are provided on the panels I!) and II and on the crotch section 12 to form the usual leg openings when the diaper cover is assembled. Along the side marginal portions of the front and back panels cooperable separable fasteners l5 and [6 are disposed in the usual manner, to provide for securing the sides of the panels to each other to form pants.

The front panel II has a marginal waistband portion l1, and the rear panel [0 a marginal waistband portion l8, the latter being preferably shirred and provided with an elastic band to make it expansible.

In accordance with this invention I provide, in conjunction with the back panel l0, novel means for retaining the diaper cover, and especially the back panel, in position under the buttocks of an infant while the diaper is being changed.

This means, in the embodiments of the invention illustrated herein, comprises a thin, soft and flexible band or strip I9 adapted to extend across the abdomen of the infant and to be secured at its ends to the marginal waistband portion l8 of the back panel. The strip I9 is formed from yard goods, preferably plastic of the series of vinyl polymers, as for example polyvinyl butyral, having a thinness on the order of a sheet of note paper whereby it is sanitary, easily cleaned, nonchafing, economical to fabricate and extremely durable. While such plastic is not considered to be elastic in. the. ordinary sense, v it has. the ability to; stretch. a: limited amount and return substantially to its original shape, and is soft to the touch, making it well suited to the purpose disclosed herein. If desired, however, the strip l9 may be made of an elastic material such.asi rubber, preferably covered with cotton or fabric, or other suitable garment material, either elastic or not elastic.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the retaining strip I9 is permanently secured at its ends to the waistband portion of the'back panel ill by means of. the'snap' fasteners I5'used to secured the'front' and: back panels; Thus the. strip. I9 in conjunctioniwith the expansibl'e Waistband portion l8 of the back panel I0 forms a. complete expansible waistband which maybe easily and quickly slipped around thatiwaist of the infant. When this. is: done, the infant may be diapered or changed without the back panel ll) of the diaper cover being dislodged from its proper position. It will be understood that to change a, diaper the front panel ll of the diaper cover is unfastened from the rear panel and laid out fiat as illustrated'irr Fig. 1'.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In these figures a back panel] Ow'of a-diapercover is provided with a, retaining strip Illahaving one end 20 permanently attached. to its waistbandv portion 18a and having itsotherend 2'! provided with a separable fastener part 22 cooperable with a mating fasteneri part'23 on the portion l8a.

By this construction the waistband constituted by the strip 190 and band portion [Ba of the back panel'may be'openedwhen applying the garment to'an infant or removing it, thereby facilitating the operation somewhat, while at-the same time the advantages of the: retaining band. are retained.

It will be noted that, in each instance (Figs. 2 and 4) the fastening of the retaining strip to the waistbandportion of the back panel is done in such a way that the end portions of the strip are doubled back on themselves and cover the backs of the fastener buttons, thereby minimizing the likelihood of the buttons coming in contact with the infants skin, and this is a feature of the invention.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements. may be usedwithoutnthers.

I claim:

1. A diaper cover having a back panel provided with an expansible marginal waistband portion,

waistband portion of the back panel, wherebythe waistband formed by the strip and backpanel maybe opened to apply or remove the cover.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, in whichthe strip comprisesa soft flexible plastic ribbon of paper-like thinness, formed of a: polyvinyl butyral resin.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which both endszof the retaining strip are permanentsecured to the waistband portion of the back panel, the waistband formed thereby being expansible by virtue of. the expansibility of said Waistband portion.

JOHN B. DE LEONE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,195,904 Barnstein Aug. 22, 1916 1,902,895 Smith Mar. 28, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 959,845 France Oct. 10, 1949 

